WMU Jazz Studies

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WMU Jazz Studies WMU has gained international recognition for its innovative approach to jazz education.

WMU Jazz Orchestra performing in the Ellington Sacred Concert in collaboration with Connecting Chords Music Festival. Wh...
10/05/2026

WMU Jazz Orchestra performing in the Ellington Sacred Concert in collaboration with Connecting Chords Music Festival. What an absolutely thrilling opportunity for our students and for our community to experience this incredible work that Duke Ellington called "the most important thing I have ever done." Big band, vocal soloists, tap dancer, gospel choir...

This music is a pinnacle of Ellington's work, and this performance was a beautiful example of what can happen when a whole community comes together for art and beauty. Congratulations to our students and everyone involved!

For the first time in 60 years, a Duke Ellington Sacred Concert will be performed in West Michigan – this is going to be...
10/02/2026

For the first time in 60 years, a Duke Ellington Sacred Concert will be performed in West Michigan – this is going to be special!

Ellington called these concerts “the most important thing I have ever done”. They were created between 1965 and 1973 as expressions of Ellington’s faith through the fusion of jazz improvisation, big-band orchestration, gospel vocals, choral elements and spiritual themes.

Participating artists include the Western Michigan University Jazz Orchestra, led by Scott Cowan; vocal soloists Susan Anthony, Tiffany Gridiron and Brandon Harris; tap dancer Jumaane Taylor; and a mass choir.

https://www.connectingchordsfestival.com/events/2026/duke-ellington-sacred-concert/

Guitar faculty member Travis Swanson just released the third part of his Lineage project entitled, “Ludic”. It features...
07/12/2026

Guitar faculty member Travis Swanson just released the third part of his Lineage project entitled, “Ludic”. It features WMU alumni Joe Miller and Jordan Richards.

🔗 travisswanson.bandcamp.com/album/ludic

05/25/2026

Spring 2026 Studio Transcription Day!

Some great work here. Noah Ostrom on clarinet! Noah Leyrer was at a wedding, so he sent in a video of him shredding Immanuel Wilkins.

Haden Bovee and Max Pastore did the first tag-team Coltrane/Cannonball on Two Bass Hit (alt take).

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

WMU’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble performed their original compositions at both Northview and Byron Center High Schools this ...
05/10/2026

WMU’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble performed their original compositions at both Northview and Byron Center High Schools this week. Both are wonderful programs in the Grand Rapids area, and the students in attendance were attentive and engaged.

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

Appearing with two ensembles from Community High School directed by Jack Wagner, WMU’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble played a s...
05/10/2026

Appearing with two ensembles from Community High School directed by Jack Wagner, WMU’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble played a set of their originals in Ann Arbor at Kerrytown Concert House on Wednesday night.

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

AJE at Thornapple Arts Council Jazz Festival
05/05/2026

AJE at Thornapple Arts Council Jazz Festival

04/22/2026

On Sunday April 19th Western Michigan Universities Advanced Jazz Ensemble directed by Dr. Andrew Rathbun, performed a program of all original music composed and workshopped over the Spring Semester. Working on composing extended forms and developing ideas into longer structures, the students came up with a dynamic program that they will be presenting on their MI tour in the coming weeks.

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

WMU Jazz’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble is looking forward to some upcoming concerts. The septet has been preparing a set of o...
04/14/2026

WMU Jazz’s Advanced Jazz Ensemble is looking forward to some upcoming concerts. The septet has been preparing a set of original student-driven creative work that explores a blend of composition and improvisation seamlessly, with performers shaping the material from the inside. The music tends to draw from modern jazz language and the pieces frequently incorporate open forms, odd-meters, rhythmic flexibility, and harmonic ingenuity.

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

04/14/2026

WMU Jazz Lab Band under the direction of Prof. Carlo De Rosa gave a spirited performance Tuesday night with pieces by Cedar Walton, Bob Mintzer and Randy Brecker, and included some Afro-Latin infused works by the likes of Ray Santos (3D Mambo).

WMU College of Fine Arts
The Irving S. Gilmore School of Music

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Kalamazoo, MI
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